Multiple illumination sources for DMD lighting apparatus and methods

Abstract

A DMD illumination system having multiple illumination sources. A DMD illumination system is provided that includes a plurality of illumination sources, each of the illumination sources directing light onto the digital micro-mirror device corresponding to a respective position of an array of micro-mirrors, each illumination source being positioned to cause reflected light from the array of micro-mirrors to be projected out of the system, and control circuitry coupled to the plurality of illumination sources and to the digital micro-mirror device configured for controlling the position of the array of micro-mirrors and further configured for providing control signals for turning each of the plurality of illumination sources on and off, so that the light from the plurality of illumination sources strikes the array of micro-mirrors and the light is reflected from the digital micro-mirror device and out of the system. Methods are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A DMD illumination system, comprising:
 a light projection system; 
 a plurality of illumination sources arranged proximate to a digital micro-mirror device and configured for directing light from the illumination sources onto an array of micro-mirrors in the digital micro-mirror device having a plurality of positions, each of the plurality of positions corresponding to a position of a respective one of the illumination sources, the light from the illumination sources being reflected from the array of micro-mirrors towards the light projection system; and 
 control circuity coupled to the illumination sources and to the digital micro-mirror device configured for controlling the array of micro-mirrors to put at least some of the micro-mirrors in a particular one of the plurality of positions by applying one or more control signals to the digital micro-mirror device, and further configured for providing control signals to control the illumination sources, so that for the particular one of the positions, light from a respective one of the illumination sources is directed to the array of micro-mirrors and reflected from the array of micro-mirrors into the light projection system; 
 wherein the light projection system is configured for collecting the reflected light and projecting the collected light out of the light projection system. 
 
     
     
       2. The DMD illumination system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the illumination sources comprises one selected from the group consisting essentially of LEDs, lasers, lasers with down converting material including a phosphor, and quantum dots. 
     
     
       3. The DMD illumination system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the illumination sources comprises one selected from the group consisting essentially of white, red, blue and green visible light spectrum illumination sources. 
     
     
       4. The DMD illumination system of  claim 1 , wherein the illumination sources comprise first and second illumination sources, and the micro-mirrors are configured to move between a first tilted position on a horizontal axis and a second tilted position on the horizontal axis. 
     
     
       5. The DMD illumination system of  claim 4 , wherein the first illumination source is positioned along the horizontal axis and on one side of the digital micro-mirror device corresponding to the first tilted position, and the second illumination source is positioned along the horizontal axis and on an opposing side of the digital micro-mirror device corresponding to the second tilted position. 
     
     
       6. The DMD illumination system of  claim 1 , wherein the illumination sources comprise first and second illumination sources, and the micro-mirrors are configured to move between a first tilted position on a horizontal axis and a second tilted position that is below the horizontal axis and lies along a vertical axis. 
     
     
       7. The DMD illumination system of  claim 6 , wherein the first illumination source is positioned along the horizontal axis and on one side of the digital micro-mirror device corresponding to the first tilted position, and the second illumination source is positioned along the vertical axis and below the digital micro-mirror device corresponding to the second tilted position. 
     
     
       8. The DMD illumination system of  claim 1 , wherein the illumination sources comprise first, second and third illumination sources, and the micro-mirrors are configured to move between a first tilted position, a flat position and a second tilted position, whererin the first, second and third illumination sources are positioned to direct light onto the micro-mirrors when at least some of the micro-mirrors are in the first tilted position, the flat position and the second tilted position, respectively. 
     
     
       9. The DMD illumination system of  claim 1 , wherein the micro-mirrors are individually addressable, and the controller is configured to form an adaptive beam pattern by controlling at least some of the micro-mirrors to be in a tilted position that differs from a tilted position of remaining ones of the micro-mirrors, while light from at least one of the illumination sources is being reflected from the array of micro-mirrors towards the light projection system. 
     
     
       10. The DMD illumination system of  claim 1 , wherein the DMD illumination system comprises a lamp that is one selected from the group consisting essentially of an automotive headlamp, a spotlight, an aircraft headlamp, a stage light, an outdoor area light, a motorcycle headlamp, a marine headlamp, a flashlight, a traffic light, and a security light. 
     
     
       11. A method for projecting light for illumination from a DMD device, comprising:
 directing light from a plurality of illumination sources proximate to a digital micro-mirror device onto an array of micro-mirrors in the digital micro-mirror device having a plurality of positions, each of the plurality of positions corresponding to a position of a respective one of the illumination sources, the light from the illumination sources being reflected from the array of micro-mirrors towards a light projection system; 
 collecting the reflected light into the light projection system, and projecting the collected light out of the light projection system; and 
 controlling the array of micro-mirrors to put at least some of the micro-mirrors in a particular one of the plurality of positions, and controlling the illumination sources, so that for the particular one of the positions, light from a respective one of the illumination sources is directed to the array of micro-mirrors and reflected into the light projection system. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the illumination sources comprises one selected from the group consisting essentially of white, red, blue and green visible light spectrum illumination sources. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the illumination sources comprises one selected from the group consisting essentially of LEDs, lasers, lasers with down converting material including a phosphor, and quantum dots. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11  wherein directing light from the plurality of illumination sources comprises: directing light from a first illumination source onto the array of micro-mirrors when at least some of the micro-mirrors are in a first tilted position, and directing light from a second illumination source onto the array of micro-mirrors when at least some of the micro-mirrors are in a second tilted position. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the digital micro-mirror device comprises one selected from the group consisting essentially of a tilt and roll pixel digital micro-mirror device and a very small pixel digital micro-mirror device. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein controlling the array of micro-mirrors comprises: adaptively controlling the array of micro-mirrors, so that when light is directed from a selected one of the illumination sources onto the array of micro-mirrors and reflected by the array of micro-mirrors, at least some of the micro-mirrors are tilted away from the selected one of the illumination sources, the projected light being adaptively shaped by positions of the micro-mirrors. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the illumination sources are pulsed, so that light is directed from a selected one of the illumination sources onto the array of micro-mirrors when at least some of the micro-mirrors are in a position corresponding to the position of the selected one of the illumination sources. 
     
     
       18. A dual illumination source DMD headlamp, comprising:
 light projection optics; 
 a digital micro-mirror device comprising an array of micro-mirrors configured to move between a plurality of positions including a first tilted position and a second tilted position, responsive to control signals; 
 a first illumination source arranged proximate to the digital micro-mirror device and positioned to direct light from the first illumination source onto the array of micro-mirrors in the digital micro-mirror device, the light from the first illumination source being reflected towards the light projection optics from the array of micro-mirrors when at least some of the micro-mirrors are in the first tilted position, so the first tilted position corresponds to a position of the first illumination source; 
 a second illumination source arranged proximate to the digital micro-mirror device and positioned to direct light from the second illumination source onto the array of micro-mirrors in the digital micro-mirror device, the light from the second illumination source being reflected towards the light projection optics from the array of micro-mirrors when at least some of the micro-mirrors are in the second tilted position, so the second tilted position corresponds to a position of the second illumination source; and 
 a controller configured to send control signals to control the array of the micro-mirrors to put at least some of the micro-mirrors in a particular one of the plurality of positions while simultaneously pulsing at least one of the first illumination source and the second illumination source, so that for the particular one of the positions, light directed from a respective one of the first illumination source and the second illumination source is directed to the array of micro-mirrors and reflected from the array of micro-mirrors into the light projection optics; 
 wherein the light projection optics are configured to collect the reflected light and, through a lens, project the collected light out of the light projection optics. 
 
     
     
       19. The headlamp of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to send the control signals to cause at least some of the micro-mirrors to switch between the first tilted position and the second tilted position at a 50% duty cycle. 
     
     
       20. The headlamp of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first illumination source and the second illumination source comprises one selected from the group consisting essentially of lasers, LEDs, quantum dots and lasers with down converting material including a phosphor.